Trump used Iraqi Kurdistan leader as secret line of communication with Iran’s IRGC - report

The Trump administration utilized Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani as a secret backchannel to communicate with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to a report by Axios citing three sources with direct knowledge. The initiative aimed to gauge the IRGC leadership's position on sensitive negotiations.

On May 10, then-US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, with President Donald Trump's approval, contacted Barzani. She requested his assistance in reaching IRGC's top commander, Ahmad Vahidi, to determine if the IRGC leadership aligned with proposals made by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, or if they had alternative demands.

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Nechirvan Barzani is a pragmatic problem solver. He's respected across the region. He knows nearly everyone in Tehran as well as Washington. That's who you call in a pinch.

Barzani, who has personal ties and fluency in Farsi from living in Iran during the 1980s, agreed to the request. He contacted Vahidi, conveying the administration's message. During their May 14 phone call, Vahidi confirmed his and the IRGC's support for resolving the crisis through negotiations. Barzani subsequently briefed Gabbard, who relayed the information to the administration.

The US then presented another proposal, suggesting Barzani host secret talks in Erbil. However, the Iranians expressed concerns about security, specifically the potential for Israeli intelligence agents to target them during the meeting or travel. Consequently, the meeting never materialized, and Pakistani and Omani mediators continued to facilitate the discussions.

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I fully support them, and this is also the position of the IRGC. We prefer to solve this crisis through negotiations.